Tag: drsmontgomery
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Change is Never Easy
Nearly two years have passed since my husband and I made the decision to move out of state from our Indiana home. We both love the Smokey Mountains and the time seemed right to take a leap of faith. In July 2021, we purchased our dream farm in East Tennessee. But change is never easy….
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Gleaning Wisdom from Nature: Be Like the Bees
If you pay attention to the natural world, it will teach you many helpful lessons. It always amazes me how my bees offer me bits of wisdom applicable to my own life. When I observe their daily habits and compare them to my own, I’m convicted and a little envious. Oh, that I could be…
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The Opportunity of Freedom
Is freedom a right or an opportunity? What do you think?
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Celebrating This Exceptionally Unwelcome Birthday
In July, I turn 65 and for the past 3 months, insurance companies have hounded me to sign up for Medicare. From emails to phone calls and even Facebook ads, they implore me to choose their supplement or Advantage plan. The stubborn part of me, continues to procrastinate. Why do all these people persist in…
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Tell Your Story . . . Then Let the Holy Spirit Do the Rest.
Are you ready to tell your story? I asked myself on our way to church. Trepidation filled my heart. It was Pentecost and we had a guest minister in the pulpit. Since we live just north of Asheville NC, my husband and I had time to attend Sunday services before driving to the Blue Ridge…
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Trust Jesus With Your ‘What Ifs’
If I’m totally honest, I admit I worry too much. With the daily disasters reported in the news, it’s easy to get caught up in the ‘What If’ game. This is especially true when it comes to my grandchildren. What if they become ill, what if they’re in an accident, what if . . ….
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What Good Are Fences Anyway?
When we moved to our mountain farm in Tennessee, a multitude of fences zigzagged across our property. Most of the posts and rails were still sturdy but a good number were shaky, at best, or simply falling down. My husband and I questioned why some of the fencing was even needed by the previous owners….
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Sow Generously and Wisely for a Spirit Filled Life
The days grow longer and signs of spring abound. It’s time to plant the garden. Depending on where you live, you may already have seeds in the ground. I do. The “cold tolerant” vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, and beets, do well early in the season. Whereas the tender tomato plants must wait until the…
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What is the Measure of Success?
Over this past weekend, my husband and I spent a considerable amount of time digging around in the mud. We were attempting to replace a broken stock tank in order to divert water from the natural spring which runs down the mountain behind our home. Between the tremendous amount of water flowing from this spring…
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Hidden Treasures in Small Packages
Raising honeybees is a labor of love. Or, let me restate this another, more honest way. Attempting to raise honeybees is an exasperating task. Any beekeeper will tell you this fact. Honeybees are vulnerable to just about anything. If it’s too hot or too cold, too wet or too dry they will die. They are…
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Ready, Set . . . Wait: Cultivating the Tender Art of Patience
Spring is here! Maybe. The seasons are fickle in the mountains. One day the temperature is in the 70’s, only for it to plummet down to freezing the next. Last weekend I mowed the lawn and two days later, it snowed. I’m ready. I’m set. But wait. Spring is not here yet. I’m slowly learning…
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Reaching the Mountaintop: Three Ways to Overcome the Arrival Fallacy
Do you long to live on a mountaintop? Like many other people, this was my dream. Mountaintop living consumed my thoughts as my husband and I searched for the perfect home. In my mind, this goal made absolute sense. If I left behind the busyness and booming growth of my birthplace, then I could find…
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When Something Good Feels Hard
For every ending, there is a new beginning. For each step forward, we must move from where we stand. This letting go is a necessary but difficult part of living. When something good feels hard, there is a sort of grief that takes place. We mourn for what’s been, before we can truly embrace what’s…
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What Dreams Live in Your Imagination?
I’m a dreamer. I always have been since I was a child. As an avid reader, I imagined myself in faraway lands, even traveling to outer space. My cousins and I composed plays from our imaginings which we presented to our parents during our visits together. We built tree houses and pretended to be pirates….
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Seeking Out My Solitary Place
Our boots crunch in the new fallen snow blanketing the path as we wind our way through the forest. From a nearby bush, a cardinal startles at our presence. With a flash of red and the flurry of wings, he is gone. My husband and I walk in companionable silence as the trees bend to-and-fro…
